Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-04

he considered hopeless case. He con-
CURED with Senator Burgess in the state
ment that it would iDjure the claim CT
Texas to Greer county
Senator Calhoun offered to amend so
to increase the fee OF eich attorney from
$1,000 to $4,000 to begin the suit. Lost.
Senator Calhoun moved to increase the
amount to be paid each of the three at
torneys upon successful termination of
the suit from $4,000 to $50, 900. Lost.
and the bill was Dgrossed-ye6s, II;
nays, lS.
HE JUDGE WILLIS INVESTIGATION.
The special committee selected by the
House to investigate the charges against
Judge Frank Willis, returned q majority
report at the morning session of the
House, presenting charges against Judge
Willis and recommending that the House
request the Governor TO remove Judge
Frank Willis from the Office of District
Judge of the Thirty first Judicial District
OF Texas, on the folio wing charges:
l. That Frank Willis, Judge, as af0re-
said, organized g grand jury, nine mem
bers of which were directly and indi-
rectly Interested in defeating the state of
Texas of the collection of the revenues
due by said parties for forcibly occupy
ing, fencing ana heTiing on the asylum,
University and public school lands of the
state of Texas in his judicial district.
,. That sid grand jury, collusively and
with intent 10 defraud and defeat the said
state in the lawful collection of the said
revenues, Indicted five of its members,
including the foreman, in six cases each,
and returned the bills of Indictment into
open court signed by said foreman, Chas.
Goodnight, all of which was within the
knowledge of said Judge Frank Willis.
,. That at the said term of court the
said Willis, SIS judge aforesaid, organized
petit junes in tiftY-siX cases, in each Of
which the defendants stood indicted with
unlaWfully inClosing and herding on the
pubic school, asylum and University
lanas; that the Jurors became and
-were disqualified in each of said cases
afterstbe first, for the following reasons:
LIST. yFhey had all by each preceding case
passed upon the, law and facts involved
in the Ssc on trial. ID. That from five to
eight of 'tiIe jurors in each cese were in
direct participants and offenders in law in
the commission of the Offenses for which
the defendants were being tried, by
| reason of being employees OF the indicted
persons, all of which said Judge Frank
Willis then and there well knew.
+. That on the 18th day OF January,
1886, the said grand jury indicted 0. II.
Nelson for unlawfully inClosing the pub
lie school lands; that part of the penalty,
on conviction thereof could have been
two years imprisonment In the county
| Jail; that on the same day the said Mel
| son was put upon his trial before said
Judge and tried and acquitted, that Mel
| son mad not been arrested or n1ti6ed of
the indictment or charge against him snd
never knew or heard Of the trial until he
saw d report thereof in newspaper pub
| lished III Fort Worth, several hundred
| miles away from the court, and he had
never authorized anyone to appear for
him--all OF which the said Judge, Frank
| Willis, we'll knew or should have known.
). That in all the aforesaid the court
| unlaNfullY and knowingly permitted said
trials to De prosecuted by the District
Attorney, on salary IS such paid by the
cattle corporations composed chiefly OF
the defendants: that said Frank Willis
willtully neglected his duty as
Judge in not suppreSsiDg said unjust,
fraudulent and partial trials, that he was
guilty Of criminal neglect of duty in not
exposing and checking them; that he was
in the said cited instances oppressive in
office in permitting citizens to be tried on
serious charges in their absence and
without their knowledge, and that he is
| now purpOsely and by reason Of the in
| iluence welded over him by the SAID cat
tlemen and corporations wiIlfully OBJ
structing and preventing the state fro m
collecting Just revenues due from those
who so occupy the asylum, University
and free school lands in said district.
Whereupon your committee offers the
following resolution:
| Resolved by the House Of Representa-
tiveS, the Senate COnCuuing, that the
Governor of the state CT Texas be and Is
| hereby requested TO remove the said
Frank Willis, Judge Of the Thirty first
Judicial district, from said office. Signed,
Kirkicks, chai man; Preadergast, Clarke
! Of Red River Of the committee.
JUDGE WILLIS Defense,
The minority report OF the special con-
mlttee in the Judge Willis case this even
Ing was filed in the House just before
adjournment. 1t consisted principally
of review of the evidence
! by the minority and their conclusions
drawn therefrom. They conclude their
report By saying they recognize that a
pure Judiciary is of paramount import
anCe to the commonwealth, and commend
the Attorney General aud his predecessor
for their promptness in bringing about
this investigation. They find, however,
that the evidence does rot support the
charge contained in the resolution sub
mite d, and they fail 10 sustain the
chsrges. The report is signed by Mr..
Robinson and Mr.. Fuller.
TO REDUCE THE NUMBER.
proposed amendment to the COL stilu-
ton has been discussed among some Of
the members, limiting the number of
Senators to twenty one and the humber
OF Representatives to siXty-three. Those
advocating the measure believe that it
will meet with the approval of the people,
and if adopted would reduce the two
houses to good active membership that
would not be as unwleldly as the present
Legislature.
OCCUPATION TAX BILL.
special to the Gazette.
AUSTIN, TEX, March MIR. Page,
speaking of tse occupation tax bill be
fore the House at the morning session,
said that in view of the possibility of the
prohibition amendment being accepted by
a vote of the people, and the extraordi-
nary drafts on the treasury by reason of
appropriations to drouth sufferers, and to
meet the deficiencies of the general APP
preparation bill and other demands, it
would be necessary TO tax other occupa
tions In order that the revenue snail DE
ample to meet ell the demands that are
continually increasing, anu ne hoped the
present bill would pass without any
amendments.
JUDICIARY AMENDMENT.